1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the chemical arts. More particularly, the invention relates to sol-gel derived compositions having sorbent and other useful properties and to sol-gel derived materials useful in the preparation of the sol-gel compositions.
2. Discussion of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,790,830 discloses swellable sol-gel compositions useful, inter alia, as sorbent materials. There remains, however, a definite need for additional sol-gel compositions having varied swellability, for example, a greater or more rapid change in volume when the sol-gel derived composition is exposed to amounts of sorbates that are less than that that which can induce full swelling of the sol-gel derived composition; having selective reactivity of the sol-gel derived composition; having an enhanced capacity to sorb selected sorbates, having a capacity to extract solutes, such as, metal ions and charged organic compounds.